Italy's relationship with America was once prevalent due to the ease of migration. Between the 1880s and 1920, four million Italians emigrated to the US and built strong communities often along the East Coast.
In the world of football, though, the two nations have never been inextricably linked. America has never been a great developer of talent, and Italy often turned to nearby shores amid Serie A's golden eras when attempting to prise away elite-level talent from their homelands.
In recent years, however, increased American influence at a board level has facilitated a rise in American stars emerging on Italian shores. This summer, Timothy Weah has already joined Juventus, while Christian Pulisic is Milan-bound.
These two USMNT stars will become the 11th and 12th Americans to play in Serie A once the 2023/24 season rolls around. Here's a list of the first ten.
1. Alfonso Negro
While he'd go on to represent Italy at the 1936 Olympics, Negro is widely regarded as the first American to play in Serie A when he moved to Fiorentina in 1934.
Negro had previously enjoyed spells with Angri and Catanzaro lower down the Italian football pyramid before earning his big break.
His record in Florence was pretty poor (five goals in 52 games) before moving to Napoli in 1938. Negro, however, scored just three times in 25 appearances as defences ruled the Italian land.
2. Armando Frigo
Born in Clinton, Indiana, Frigo moved to Italy when he was eight and would eventually evolve into a fine midfielder before World War II eventually brought about his demise.
Frigo starred for Serie C outfit Vicenza before joining top flight side Fiorentina before the war. The midfielder enjoyed three years in Florence, scoring seven times in 46 games.
A second lieutenant in the Italian Army, Frigo was killed in 1943 at the age of just 26 after being captured by the Nazis in modern-day Montenegro. Frigo had joined the anti-fascist partisans before his death during the Italian Civil War.
3. Alexi Lalas
Arguably the most recognisable figure in American 'soccer' history, Lalas and his distinctive look rose to prominence during the 1994 World Cup, held in the States.
Lalas earned a move to Europe's golden division off the back of his performances, joining middling Serie A outfit Padova in 1994.
The defender performed well during his debut season, but the emerging MLS meant his stay in Italy was brief. Signed by the New England Revolution in 1996, Lalas was loaned back to Padova but he couldn't help them escape the drop.
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4. Michael Bradley
Bradley has been quite the journeyman, eh? After leaving MLS as a teenager in 2006, the midfielder suited up for Heerenveen, Borussia Monchengladbach and Aston Villa before joining Chievo in 2011.
Bradley impressed during his maiden Serie A campaign, with Chievo supporters labelling him 'The General' and he earned a move to AS Roma for a modest fee the following summer.
The energetic midfielder's time in the Eternal City started brightly as he usurped the great Daniele De Rossi in Zdeněk Zeman's talented midfield.
However, his impressive debut season proved to be a mere false dawn as his positional and tactical limitations began to manifest in year two. He slipped down the depth chart as injuries took their toll, with many Romans eventually regarding Bradley as a handy option off the bench, nothing more.
5. Bryan Reynolds
Reynolds emerged as one of MLS' most exciting young talents before Roma, owned by the American-based Friedkin Group, took a plunge on the developing right-back in 2021, signing him on an initial six-month loan.
Reynolds joined Roma permanently ahead of the 2021/22 season, but his minutes under Jose Mourinho have so far been limited. As a result, the right-back has enjoyed two loan spells in Belgium, spending 2022/23 with Westerlo.
6. Weston McKennie
McKennie has established himself as one of the faces of the USMNT, with his exploits in Europe elevating him to star status back in his homeland.
After making a name for himself in the Bundesliga with Schalke, McKennie joined Juventus on loan for the 2020/21 season before signing permanently after an impressive debut campaign.
The spritely midfielder was admired by Andrea Pirlo, but Juventini have never been totally convinced. Technically erratic and inconsistent, McKennie slid down Juve's midfield pecking order under Max Allegri and endured a miserable loan spell at Leeds to round off 2022/23.
His future in Turin is very much up in the air.
7. Gianluca Busio
Now plying his trade with Venezia in the second tier, crafty midfielder Busio certainly made an impression during his sole Serie A campaign after he was signed for a club-record deal in 2021.
Busio didn't do quite enough to keep Venezia in the top flight, but he's showed some loyalty to the club by remaining in Venice despite their plight.
The 21-year-old has already earned 11 caps for the national team.
8. Patrick Leal
Leal just about makes his way onto this list. The tall midfielder has been at Venezia since 2021, but he's played just a single Serie A minute.
Leal was a last-minute substitute in Venezia's final game of the 2021/22 season and hasn't appeared for the first team since.
9. Tanner Tessmann
Another American midfielder enjoying life in Venice, Tessmann played a key role during the club's bid to return to Serie A in 2022/23.
He notched five goal contributions in 32 games as Venezia were beaten by Cagliari in the playoffs. In Serie A, Tessmann played a bit-part role - racking up 671 minutes over 20 games.
10. Sergino Dest
The former Ajax hotshot was once tagged as a potential superstar, but Dest's never quite found his feet outside of the Dutch capital.
Barcelona took a plunge on the swift right-back, but Dest performed poorly in Catalonia and La Blaugrana quickly sought an exit strategy. The club couldn't quite negotiate a permanent sale, but Dest was loaned out to Milan for the 2022/23 season.
However, the Dutchman failed to garner the trust of Stefano Pioli as he registered just eight Serie A appearances. Unsurprisingly, Milan refused the option to buy Dest permanently.
This article was originally published on 90min as Every American to play in Serie A.
